


Dark Side Demon: Act 1

by Machaeus



Series: Dark Side Demon [1]
Category: Slightly Damned, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-03 19:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8727892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Machaeus/pseuds/Machaeus
Summary: Darth Imperius of the Sith Empire discovers that his predecessor, Darth Thanaton, discovered a system not on any other star charts, and has many notes of the "unusual properties of the Force in the system." The new Head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge decides to pay the system visit...and finds a powerful and unusual Sensitive there. SW:TOR/SD; after Inquisitor storyline





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposted from Fanfiction.net.

**ACT I: APPRENTICE**

 

A sigh echoed from the chambers on Dromund Kaas, from a red-headed young Sith. His green eyes focused intensely on the task before him, stroking his strip-goatee'd chin. Darth Imperius was fiddling with a device of his creation – a new holocron, within which he could store his knowledge of the Force for future review and use – but the going was incredibly slow. Shaping the crystalline energy source, fitting it into the shell he'd made, perfecting the AI that would serve as the interface – all of it was far more difficult than he'd have thought.

It wasn't merely the careful finesse of craftsmanship, but also the power in the Force that he had trouble with. Not for the first time, the Darth wished he hadn't simply purified the Force Ghosts he'd "eaten" for their power, after he'd killed off Thanaton. Still, there was nothing for it now – they'd passed on, and they would not be back. He could seek another Force Ghost, but to rely on another's power rankled with him a bit, now that he really could stand on his own.

Even with his convictions, though, the thought was still tempting at times to find a ghost and bind it.

"My Lord?" he heard, and looked up from his desk's work. Ashara Zavros, the Jedi Padawan he'd "turned to the Dark Side" was standing there. The yellow-and-blue Togruta smiled hesitantly at him, looking at the holocron-to-be from her standing position. "Do you want help?"

"I need it, certainly," the Dark Councillor grumbled, before putting on a smile. "Any ideas?" he asked, now more pleasant in tone. He was always a bit grumpy when things weren't going well, but he usually only let it shine through for a moment before going to be at least polite.

"Not sure – may I?" she asked, extending her hand. The Darth nodded and handed her the parts, watching as she puzzled over them, meditating and focusing. "Oh. You uh," she said, then hesitated. As prideful as she'd been in the past, Darth Imperius had taught her the value of humility, often by example. She didn't want to sound arrogant when he said what the problem was.

Still, he didn't like it when people wasted time, either, so she pressed on. "I think you screwed up the power crystal. Irreparably."

"How so?" Imperius asked, more concerned than annoyed.

"Looks like you broke it when you were charging it with the Force."

The man took in a breath, hissing out a curse in a long sigh. "I should have known that crack wasn't it fitting into place," he muttered. "So I'll have to start over?"

"Yeah, I think so," Ashara nodded.

"Sounds like _you_ need a vacation," a deep, gruff voice teased.

Imperius snorted. "Andronikos, I can't drop everything for a vacation," he said, "much as it would be appreciated. How is the _Fury,_ by the way?"

"Still in need of a proper name," the dark-skinned pilot grinned. "Other'n that, she's in as bad a shape as Twovee'll let her get to."

"I need to have that droid given a once-over, maybe an outright memory wipe at this rate," Imperius sighed. "Poor thing'll probably overheat again in a month or two."

"Well, where we're going for your vacation, we won't be able to get supplies for the ship droid, I'm afraid," Andronikos said with a smirk.

"You're really going to press-gang me?" Imperius grinned.

"You're gonna wanna see this," the ex-pirate said, his expression and tone rapidly turning serious. "I was dickin' around in Thanaton's archives with Talos. He wanted help sorting through stuff. Anyway, I found a star chart that updates itself pretty constantly for astrogation. Got a few systems on it that I didn't find marked anywhere else. And one of 'em's in Wild Space."

Imperius frowned. "And?"

"And he had notes on 'the unusual properties of the Force' in that Wild Space system. Said the locals called it Medius."

"...unusual how?"

"Apparently, some can use Force Lightning without its corruptive properties – or even much Force sensitivity."

Imperius stood up rapidly, knocking his seat over, eyes wide, and Ashara went stock-straight. That was a _huge_ discovery, and for Thanaton to just sit on it was almost wasteful. "Bantha shit," he managed.

"No joke, captain. That's what his private logs all say. Even humans there, though everything's all super-low tech. They barely have _coal trains._ "

Ashara blinked at that, recovering her composure. The low tech made it vulnerable to predation – did Thanaton simply not see a point? "Does he have holo-images?" she asked.

"Yeah, Drellik's lookin' it all over now. He and I were working on making sure the charts were up-to-date enough, and that we could predict it good enough otherwise. We wanna see this place – me for just plain curiosity, him because he's fascinated. Wants to find out about their cultures an' stuff."

"So why there?" Imperius asked.

"Because I thought you'd be interested," Andronikos grinned.

"I am, but why as a vacation?"

"Hey, when I'm stressed about a project, I drop it for a while, come back with a fresh mind. It helps me every time."

The human once known as Sepith Veilcurse, the scion of Kallig, tapped his chin. "I think you might have a point. Ashara, go get Khem. Andronikos, you find Xalek. We'll meet at the _Fury_ in an hour; I'll requisition our supplies for the trip."

"The trip there might take a while," Andronikos noted. "Get at least three months of stuff, just in case something goes wrong."

"I'll get four months for extra security," Sepith nodded.

Within an hour, everyone was prepared for the trip. The _Fury_ was practically stuffed with supplies, and the crew had been assembled. Khem Val, staring at the ship's walls as he walked on board, grumbled, [I do not want to be stuck in this ship for months on end. Not again.]

"Neither do I," Darth Imperius said, "but the trip should take just over a month. The backup supplies are for any accidents or the like. We've got it plotted out for a stop a week for the first couple of weeks, assuming we're not off in our calculations for the astrogation."

[Good,] the Dashade growled.

As first order of business, once out of the atmosphere and into hyperspace, Imperius called everyone to the conference room. "What can you tell me about the xenoforms and civilization on this Medius, Talos?" he asked the scholarly lieutenant.

"Culturally, not a lot, other than the worship of three gods," Talos replied, bringing out a datapad. "The xenoforms are very interesting, however – several species on the same planet, of fairly wide variety, and including humans, strangely enough. One species on a second planet. And an extremely varied species on the third."

"Three planets in the same system, all with their own basic civilizations?" Imperius asked, surprised. "That might almost speak to Rakata influence."

Finally, several holovids came up – there were humans, or something very much like them, along with smaller, fuzzy creatures labeled "Jakkai," shelled beings called "Khamega," tiny flying insect-men described as "Fairies," and piscine xenoforms known as "Merfolk." "That's just on the main planet of Medius," Talos noted. "The others are labeled 'Heaven' and 'Hell' and are literally populated by 'Angels' and 'Demons' – the latter being the varied creatures."

The holovids showed the Angels, then several samples of Demon. Imperius blinked repeatedly, a bit disturbed by the species' names. "That can't be good for racial relations, if I know the galactic myths of such beings. Then again, how do any of them know of each other?"

"Interplanetary travel is apparently possible through decently-known rituals," Talos noted. "The planets of Heaven and Hell also have an unusual property that apparently draws the deceased to them in their old forms – and those on these worlds do not seem to require sustenance. He also noted that Heaven is fairly orderly, with buildings of white stone and strong wood, while Hell is basically a red desert world."

Xalek seemed to start, having been silently observing this entire time. "Is there a problem, Xalek?" Imperius asked him.

"Master," Xalek stated, "This seems familiar somehow."

"What do you mean?" his master asked, surprised.

"I had a dream the night before," the Kaleesh replied. "A world of pain and suffering, and a world of healing and rest. A world of life, and a world of death and stasis. Four worlds in all."

"Is there a fourth, Talos?" Imperius asked.

"There is, but Thanaton didn't spend any great time on it – his notes said it was merely like the first."

"Odd," Imperius muttered. "Anything else?" he asked his Sith apprentice.

"A vision of an angel trapped in a demon's body," Xalek continued, "golden horned and purple of body. He was strong in the Force, yet trapped in a red desert, with no family, no allies, no enemies."

Imperius nodded. "I see. A red desert – were there any clues as to the exact location?"

"There was a great black wall in my vision, but the demon was nowhere near it. It was far closer to a series of mountains, and a great river of glowing green."

Imperius nodded. "We'll start there, I suppose. These visions rarely happen for no reason."

"Indeed."

"An angel in a demon's body?" Ashara asked. "Weird...but then, with literal angel and demon people in this system, maybe that's a clue too."

"We can hope," Imperius said quietly.

* * *

After four jumps to other worlds, the crew took another week to reach the Medius system. Andronikos flew the _Fury_ towards the red planet, Hell, and began running scans. "There's life forms down there, though hell if I know how," he muttered.

"Exactly," Imperius said, smirking as Andronikos stared at him.

The ex-pirate got the idea in a moment and began to laugh at the pun. "That's a _bad_ one, captain," he grinned. "I love it."

As the _Fury_ touched down, the group set up a perimeter and camp in the area. When that was completed, Imperius decided to drag Talos along with him. The archaeologist was pleased to see the planet up-close, but he did seem a bit jumpy. "There's no sign of life anywhere, not even trees or flowers," he muttered. "It's rather eerie."

"Agreed," the Darth nodded. "And I have a strong impression that we're being watched." He glanced towards a small group of stones, and he finally nodded. "Come on out, little one. We won't hurt you, I promise."

Talos blinked. "What I wouldn't give at times," he muttered, smiling in his jealousy of the sensory powers of the Force.

Finally, out came a small purple form, clothed only in a white shirt that was perhaps eight sizes too big and what looked like a large white-gold pendant in the shape of a star. Its wide red eyes were fearful, yet curious, and it had goldenrod horns, black claws instead of fingers, and a spaded tail-tip. Talos strode a bit forward of Imperius and knelt, smiling. "Come on, little one," he said, pulling out a wrapped taffy and untwisting the ends.

"You never shared with _me_ ," Imperius whined jokingly. Talos chuckled, while the little creature stumbled forward, sniffing the candy and gently picking it up.

As he opened his mouth, filled with fangs and ready to bite, Talos said, "You don't chew it, little one. It'd get your teeth all gummed up. You just let it rest in your mouth, you'll see." The boy stared at Talos, then did so, sucking on the taffy and blinking at the sweet flavor. "Good, ah?" the Imperial man smiled. "Come on, then," he said, gently picking the child up. "Where are your parents?"

The boy winced, looking away. "Oh, I'm sorry," Talos sighed. "Come on, it'll be alright." He hauled the child along behind Imperius, who kept glancing back at the child. "Is everything alright, my Lord?"

"Just...curious," Imperius said. "The boy's got a lot of power in the Force...even at such a young age. He can't even be four years old yet."

Talos grimaced. "Poor thing," he sighed, gently stroking the child's head.

Back at camp, Xalek backed away from the child, almost reverent in his respect. "It is the one from my vision," he murmured. "Master...as much as I do not wish to be replaced, you must train him," he said bitterly.

"You're not being replaced," Imperius smiled. "I didn't replace Ashara with you, now did I?"

"...no," Xalek murmured. "Still...three apprentices is a lot to keep track of, is it not?"

"True," Imperius said, "but I'm sure I can handle it, for now."

* * *

A week went by as Buwaro – the Demon child – familiarized himself with the rest of the _Fury's_ crew, and began to learn how to read Basic. Once he was comfortable with them, Imperius decided to head to Tatooine for a time, and instruct the boy privately at his stronghold.

Another two weeks of travel brought them to the great base in the desert. The group developed a schedule to help care for Buwaro's needs and began to do so, making sure he ate well, trained in the Force, and was kept learning and entertained.

Talos's main duty was to educate him in the basic knowledge any citizen should have, but he often gave the boy puzzles and games to help grow his mind as well. There was no reason to make him simply able to regurgitate information, after all.

Ashara was in charge of his physical conditioning and diet. Buwaro had developed a strong love for food, since for the first three and a half years of his life it was unnecessary and unavailable. She constantly had to make sure he didn't just gorge himself, and worked off those extra calories he did consume.

Xalek helped him with combat training when he was old enough to start learning to use his fists – and his claws. While Buwaro had been afraid of the Kaleesh at first, the once-murderous warrior softened up to Buwaro's heart and, in time, Buwaro learned not to fear the well-toned fighter. This eventually brought Xalek to begin to claw away from the Dark Side, much to everyone's surprise – the care of a young living being had softened his heart.

On the other hand, Buwaro would have almost nothing to do with Khem Val – between the Dashade's desire to eat his power and Buwaro's ability to sense the beast's malice, the two avoided each other, since Imperius would have none of Khem's hunger pangs coming out.

Andronikos wasn't around often, at first – but when Buwaro developed an interest in learning mechanics, he decided to teach the boy how to repair a starship, and the skills needed to fly one. Buwaro wasn't so good at the latter, but the boy quickly learned how to bring the _Fury_ to top shape, and even learned how to do basic astrogation calculations.

Once Buwaro was eight or so, Imperius truly undertook his training, teaching him the art of the Sith Inquisitor as he had learned. Initially, Buwaro's strongest skill was the ability to sense, so they delved deep into that. His mind grew to accept the thoughts of others, and he began to master the basics of the Force before he was thirteen.

His skill in the Force even gave him the ability to resist the Berserker state caused by losing his Star Pendant, though never for very long. The discovery of this wild state – and its final implications of death – had concerned Imperius greatly, so he requested that Buwaro keep the pendant on whenever possible. The boy didn't argue.

It was a few days after Buwaro turned fifteen that Imperius and crew returned to the Medius system, and to Hell specifically. Buwaro remembered the place fairly well despite the decade away. Once they had landed, Imperius began Buwaro's first mission. "In short," Imperius said, "you are to infiltrate Hell's wall and give me reports on what you find once a month or so. I'll contact you by your holocommunicator. I wish to try and set up a power base in the form of a cult here."

"Yes sir," Buwaro nodded, bowing his head. "What should I do if the worst should happen?"

"If you are somehow discovered as an outsider, you should only be ostracized at most," Imperius replied. "If things get ugly, for whatever reason, contact me and we'll pick you up as soon as we can."

"As you wish, Master," Buwaro said, bowing at the waist. He could do this, he knew it.

It was just a matter of proving it to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

The group ended up dropping Buwaro off in a secure portion of the walled-off portion of Hell. Admitting to himself that he was nervous, he took a deep breath and focused on his walking meditation as he wandered into Hell, slipping through areas he knew were less populated so that he could avoid detection, in case anyone saw the _Fury_ landing. His meditations extended his senses even as his eyes closed, so that he could avoid those who might approach him asking uncomfortable questions.

After about an hour, he spotted what looked like a military camp. He relaxed his senses and wandered in, his black trenchcoat shifting from his steps alone. The lack of wind was almost disturbing to someone who'd grown up on Tatooine. Seeing few better options, he approached the tents, his pack shifting lightly with each step.

He made it to the tents in short order. Glancing around, he noticed the Demons were all fairly well-developed of frame, as if they'd been put to harder training than he had. Then again, he'd been trained in the mind as much as the body, so hopefully the dual focus left him only slightly behind.

"Hey, you," someone shouted, and he glanced over to see a black-and-orange Fire Demon with large orange eyes. "Who th'hell are you?"

"Buwaro," he responded smartly. "Who is asking?"

"I'm Azurai," the Demon snarled, "and you're in the wrong regiment."

"I'm not actually in a regiment, sir," Buwaro replied. "I'm looking to start in one, however."

Azurai stared at him in confusion, then began to laugh. "If you failed basic training, you don't get to be in a regiment," he mocked. "What makes you think you can waltz into our camp, take up residence with us, if you failed basic training?"

Buwaro frowned, staring at the Fire Demon intensely. He extended his senses into the belligerent one's mind and asked, "What's your problem all of a sudden?"

"My problem is you're just walkin' in like you own the place," Azurai snarled.

Buwaro's power got a slightly different answer – Azurai was apparently trying to test just how meek the newbie was, in order to see whether Buwaro could be pushed around. Luckily, it seemed the physical training he'd undergone was only slightly tougher than what he'd already dealt with. "Why not test me?" Buwaro asked. "Maybe the big guys missed something vital. Like they did with your arrogance."

Azurai growled, then grabbed Buwaro by the sleeve and hauled him to the center of the camp, where a practice duel was about to end in the center of a well-established ring. The fight ended a moment later, and Azurai hauled Buwaro into the ring. "Azurai, who's this?" a Wind Demon asked, his scales pale green and black.

"Some punk who wants to fuck with my head," the crabby Fire Demon snapped.

"If I wanted to do that," Buwaro said as they squared off, "I'd definitely want a condom first."

Azurai quickly saw red, eyes glowing with fury. He rushed Buwaro, who began to defend cautiously against the suddenly-extended claws, bringing his senses to bear so that he wouldn't be cut to ribbons by the berserker.

Azurai quickly pressed Buwaro back and left a small gash on his arm, but the younger Demon was focusing on his foe's combat style, trying to find a weakness. Another gash set blood into Buwaro's right eye, but he'd dangerously over-extended himself. Buwaro swooped in and left a shallow gash on the Demon's side, which only seemed to drive Azurai into a bigger fury. Another cut dug into Buwaro's shoulder, and the boy grimaced. He was getting nowhere playing the cautious game.

Azurai left another shallow cut, leaving himself open again, and Buwaro pounced, missing his foe again. Azurai then swiped and left a far deeper cut, once again dangerously over-extended.

Taking a quick stock of his body, however, Buwaro knew better than to press his advantage with his current wounds. He quietly backed out of the ring scratched into the dirt, bowing his head in the process. Azurai glared at him. "Get back here, I ain't done fuckin' you up yet," he snarled.

"You keep leaving yourself with dangerous openings," Buwaro said, "but I'm hardly skilled enough to take them at my best, and I'm hardly at my best. I'll recover if I quit now, but I don't trust you to not kill me if I fall. Besides, why should resources of war be wasted?" Azurai grumbled and walked away, looking even more irritable than before. The boy was put off by Azurai's disturbing level of bloodlust, but there was nothing for it now.

The Wind Demon's hand fell on Buwaro's uninjured shoulder, and he said, "Azurai's always been a grumpy one. I'm sorry you had to meet him first. I'll help you patch up. I'm Tsavo, by the way."

"Thank you, Tsavo," Buwaro nodded, following his new ally.

It turned out that Tsavo was an alchemist, and had brewed a healing potion. Buwaro gulped it down, grimacing at the taste but enjoying the soothing, yet itchy feeling it left behind. "Thank you again," he told Tsavo.

"You should spend some time practicing," Tsavo said. "General Iratu won't want any slackers in our fights."

Buwaro nodded, thinking to himself. It seemed that he'd be at the bottom of the totem pole for some time. That was fine – his own Master, Darth Imperius, had been a slave before he ascended to the Dark Council. He'd follow in the footsteps of Sepith Veilcurse, at least in regards to his ascension to power.

In short: quickly and with strong foundations.

* * *

Now that he was semi-introduced, Buwaro sat outside of the ring and watched others fight. He was very attentive, barely bothering to get up and stretch every hour or so. After several hours of watching and taking mental notes, he settled in for the night in a spare tent. His eyes slowly drifted shut as he extended his senses around him in meditation.

It was then that he felt someone approaching – but it wasn't Azurai. Buwaro sat upright, grimacing, glad that Tsavo's healing potion had patched up the worst of his wounds over the first three hours. It was almost like a slow-acting medpak, but better over its long time.

Finally, the gigantic General Iratu sat outside of Buwaro's tent. "Hey, Buwaro. Do you remember me at all?" he asked.

Buwaro frowned as he sat up, seeking the general's thoughts. Surprisingly, they were not easily reached – not for power in the Force, but simply a strong will. Buwaro decided after a moment of trying to not bother for now. "Should I?" he asked quietly. "You do seem familiar somehow, but I can't figure out how."

Iratu smiled sadly. "It's a long story," he said quietly. "Maybe someday I'll tell you."

"Why not now?" Buwaro asked.

"Because Azurai's waiting for me in our tent," the Earth Demon muttered.

Buwaro frowned, before getting the idea. "...no offense, general," he stated, "but how did you manage to fall in love with that sociopath?"

Iratu blinked, but shrugged it off. "He's very loyal," the Earth Demon said, "so he kinda saved my ass more'n a few times."

"And wrecked it in return?" Buwaro joked dryly. Iratu laughed weakly at the bad joke. "In all seriousness, though," the younger Demon said, his eyes losing their humor, "either bring out his better qualities, or find someone less bloodthirsty. He makes me think of our enemies more than he does an ally."

Iratu seemed to pale. Buwaro took the moment of shock to check his superior's thoughts, and nearly paled himself. "He's not that bad," Iratu muttered.

"He is," Buwaro grumbled. "If I hadn't been half as good at defense as I am, I'd have died in that fight."

Iratu winced and walked away, obviously displeased – and by Buwaro's understanding, not with the critique of Azurai. Buwaro laid back down, dazed himself.

' _Darius Elexion – an Angel – adopted him? Adopted_ us? _And Iratu is sad that I'm "just like the other Demons"?'_ he thought to himself. _'Why don't I remember a Darius?'_

He considered the Great War a moment later. _'Perhaps he died not long after I was born. That's frustrating.'_ Buwaro quietly tried to ignore the doubt that entered his mind.

He had trouble sleeping that night.

* * *

The next morning, Buwaro began his training with another Fire Demon – a woman named Triska, looking like a fox with antlers. Buwaro let her begin the fight, and she did with gusto.

A light scratch on his cheek, just enough to hurt, but Buwaro retaliated with a surprisingly powerful punch. She stumbled back a tad and took his moment of surprise to lash out again, leaving herself wide open for a maneuver. Buwaro slid under and to her right, outside of her slash, and struck with his fist – she doubled over, shocked at the force behind his blow. She swiped, barely scraping his shoulder, and he landed another fist in her face. She then slipped to the ground and kicked his leg out from under him, and he collapsed to the ground, hitting his head just wrong.

A moment later, he came to, barely aware that he'd passed out a moment ago, and she offered him a hand. "For someone who took a beating from Azurai yesterday," she admitted, "you're damn good."

"I guess I did have a handicap," Buwaro groaned, taking her hand, "but I won't let that excuse my loss." She hauled him up, grinning, and helped him to Tsavo's tent.

Once there, Buwaro shook his head at the potion. "Just bandage me," he said. "I'll deal with my own stupidity the hard way."

Tsavo frowned. "That's time you won't be practicing," he noted.

"I'll manage," Buwaro replied. "I'll probably take a potion tonight and tomorrow night, if no one else needs one over those days." Tsavo blinked, but conceded, and began to patch Buwaro up the old-fashioned way.

Three days later, Buwaro had recovered almost fully while he'd been studying under Tsavo. The Wind Demon had been surprised that Buwaro was willing to be a medical dummy, in return for simply learning how to do the things Tsavo did. On the second day of his study, Buwaro took a dose of the potion, and began his training in greater depth. Triska proved to be a good training partner, as did a Water Demon named Abyset. He was much like an angler fish in form, and Buwaro couldn't help but tease him a few times by batting at the drooping light on his head.

Abyset quickly impressed that it hurt to do that, and so Buwaro immediately stopped his cat impression and apologized. After that, they got along far better.

Buwaro began to push himself in his training. Despite having "failed basic training," he began to gain respect for his willingness to respect others' boundaries and his drive to improve. A week passed before he decided to truly push himself.

"At the same time?" Abyset echoed, surprised.

"We can't always fight one-on-one," Buwaro shrugged. "Least I can do is finally learn how to fight with a handicap."

"Your funeral," Triska laughed in response. "Come on, let's get started."

They entered the ring, and the fight began. Triska lunged in at Buwaro, who easily ducked under her attack. Abyset came in, striking hard and fast, but Buwaro took the blow and grabbed his fist. The next thing Abyset knew, Buwaro was behind him, and he had rolled onto his stomach. Triska lunged in, connecting with Buwaro this time, but the boy was already in motion, and Triska barely dodged an attack.

Abyset rolled upright, preparing to step in, while Triska slipped a cross at Buwaro to set him up for an attack. In turn, Buwaro sent a fist at her, stepping forward as it missed and delivering an elbow to her ear. It didn't do much more than set her ears ringing, but it was enough for Abyset. He landed a hit in Buwaro's side, the boy spinning with it as Triska struck. A glancing blow to his cheek left her right side open to a bell-ringer in the other ear, ducking under Abyset's claws. The boy found himself on his back, but managed to roll upright in the process as Triska lunged at him. She left his balance off, but Buwaro took it in relative stride, sending a foot at her ribs. She backed off just in time to receive a glancing blow herself. Abyset's circling maneuver left Buwaro off-balance once more, set up for a hammer-blow by Triska.

To her shock, she missed entirely, but Buwaro was once again backed into a corner. He began to realize he wouldn't win without some luck, but he wouldn't fall that easily. His fist lashed out and, though he missed, he pushed Triska to stagger back into Abyset's way. The two ended up tangled up, and Buwaro bopped Triska's nose, sending her backing away in a moment of actual pain. Abyset stepped in and swiped with his claws, barely missing Buwaro's chest. The boy smiled as Triska stepped in behind him, striking his cheek and wiping the smile off. Buwaro spun, and the outside of his foot connected with Triska's stomach, sending her staggering back and groaning as Abyset swung at the boy. Buwaro hopped back, against the edge of the ring, and Triska stumbled forward to strike. Buwaro found himself on the ground as he avoided the attack, but with a kick he got her to back off as he rolled upright. Abyset then came in, Buwaro dodging his assault by a hair.

Triska's strike was easily predicted at this point – a stomach blow that Buwaro dodged, setting her up for a forward hop and a shove back, leaving her and Abyset momentarily tangled again. Abyset, however, managed to hit Buwaro anyway, leaving a bump under his eye. Triska struck and missed, Buwaro pulling her into a stomach blow that knocked her out of the ring entirely. She groaned and rolled onto her back as Abyset struck, Buwaro blocking the worst of the hit. With that, Buwaro's full attention turned to his remaining foe, striking to set him up. Abyset saw through it this time, and dodged in a way Buwaro hadn't wanted – but despite being pushed into a poor position, Buwaro recovered admirably, knocking the Water Demon back with a punch to the sternum. Abyset punched again, but Buwaro caught the blow and hurled him across the ring, the Water Demon landing roughly.

Abyset grinned and backed out of the ring, saying, "Not bad, Buwaro. You took some serious hits there too!"

"No kidding," Buwaro coughed, letting his guard relax. "You're both very good at what you do, and you set me up more times than I could keep track of." He hustled to Triska's side and offered his hand.

She took it gladly and grinned. "What a turn around," she laughed weakly.

"I had time to recover and practice," Buwaro smirked. "Oh, I noticed some things – Abyset, you can't do power blows too well, so I'd suggest either building strength or working on your aim with a hit. Triska, you get baited way too easily, but other than that you seem good." Many eyes lingered on him at his declaration, and he blushed. "I'm observant," he said nervously.

"So you're helping us with our fights, ah?" she grinned. "Thanks, I'll try and keep that in mind. More caution on my end?"

"Yes ma'am," Buwaro smiled back. "There's always room for improvement." She barked a laugh and slung her arm onto his shoulder as they left to get a patch-up from Tsavo.

* * *

Buwaro spent the rest of his month in the camp getting acclimated. During this time, he developed the athletic ability he needed via the Force. His skills were slow to develop, as was his true power, but at least they _were_ developing. During this time, he began recording his findings on the datapad in his backpack in the evenings. Turning down the glow of the screen made sure he was unobserved, but he used his senses to make doubly sure.

At the end of that month, one afternoon when he was sure he wasn't being observed, Buwaro walked a good ways away from the camp and found a spot behind a rock. Once settled in, he opened the old leatheris backpack he had carried to the camp with him. Within were three items: the datapad he'd stored his findings on; a holocommunicator, to contact his master Darth Imperius with; and a cord to connect the two. He quietly transferred the datapad's recorded findings to the holocommunicator, then waited for his master to call.

Buwaro almost _felt_ like a Sith Inquisitor at this point, and smiled to himself, occasionally pulsing out with his senses.

Finally, Darth Imperius gave him a call. "Buwaro," the man's blue hologram stated, "how goes your first month?"

"Bottom rung of the ladder at first," the boy said, "but I'm getting there. It won't be more than a year before I'm passing where you were that first year," he joked.

"It's possible, I suppose," the man smiled back. By now, Darth Imperius had almost reached middle age, but he was still surprisingly spry and sharp. "Either way, eyes on the prize. Form the bonds of trust, then show them your power."

"Yes sir," Buwaro smiled. "Thoughts on my notes?"

"It's disturbing that the Great War is going on still," the Darth said, "though the Republic and Empire have been at odds for longer. Keep your eyes and ears open for any openings for positions of power."

"Of course, Master," Buwaro nodded. "May the Force ever serve you."

"And you, my apprentice." The communication cut off, and Buwaro sensed out around him. No one seemed to be nearby, so he packed up and returned to camp.


	3. Chapter 3

The next two months progressed slowly. Buwaro trained in his few Force abilities, trying to improve his power rather than broaden his scope of study. Slowly, the training paid off – his power came far more easily to him in moments of meditation and practice.

During this time, he developed knowledge of the various troops here. He had quickly grown to know Triska, Azurai, Tsavo, Iratu, and Abyset, but there was also old Dakos, another Fire Demon who looked more than half a dragon; Haury, a Wind Demon that looked mostly like a wolf with wings and horns; Lazuli, a Water Demon who seemed like she was part-badger; and Talus, an Earth Demon who made Buwaro think of an old galactic legend, the Minotaur.

Then he met Nikkei and Hakka, the latter a green, coyote-like Wind Demon, and the former a lupine Fire Demon. They had both been high-ranking trainees from that year, though Nikkei had ignored him at first – completely. When Buwaro finally confronted her, she seemed confused. Hakka had explained.

"I'm sorry, what?" Buwaro asked, stunned. "She can't hear at all?"

"No," Hakka said, now irritated. "The last few generations of Demons have been getting weaker of blood. Nikkei has never heard a sound in her life."

Buwaro openly gaped for a moment, impressed that she'd made it this far into the Demons' training facilities. He mastered his expression and said to a furious-looking Hakka, "Would you mind informing her, if you can, that I'd be honored to train under her?"

Hakka blinked. "What?" she asked.

"Well," Buwaro explained, "to be at the top of the class with, let's face it, a handicap? Impressive doesn't quite cover it." Staring at her for a moment, he curiously pressed into her mind as Hakka signed to her deaf friend. Perhaps Nikkei's interpreter had been of some help? Still, to fight that well, while deaf, spoke of more than just skill.

And he was right – she had some latent Force ability, an ability to sense that was easily on par with his own. His eyes widened with a smile growing on his face. "She says she'd be glad to work with you," Hakka said suddenly, and Buwaro almost started. "...and, we're kinda in a relationship, so don't even think it."

"Huh? Oh oh no, I was – it's hard to explain," he said sheepishly.

"Can't be that hard," Hakka pressed, eyes narrowing.

Buwaro frowned, thinking. "I plan to wait a while before talking about it," he said finally. "I would like to know everyone fairly well before I get into it."

"Why's that?" Hakka asked, confused.

Buwaro shook his head. "I'm not going to say just yet. Sorry."

"Alright," she frowned. Buwaro didn't have to read her mind to know she wasn't sure whether he was trustworthy, anymore.

* * *

Despite Hakka's misgivings, she and Nikkei were still respectful from then on, treating him as they might any other Demon. Working with them, Buwaro began training in greater depth on his ability to fight, since he was a bit behind in that regard. Still, his newfound ability to sense and defend, or defend and run, at the same time was a huge boon. He could even bring his full power to bear and sense far greater distances than before, or at least the same distance with greater ease, and he could outrun the entirety of his regiment if he pushed himself a bit.

Then, one day, Azurai pushed him aside with a swagger. Buwaro glared at the irritating Fire Demon, and finally decided to speak. "You know," he said, "most people at least go around."

"Fuck you," Azurai drawled, not even turning his head.

"At least I'm fuckworthy," Buwaro snarled. Azurai stopped, then turned around to glare back. "I don't know what the general sees in you, to be willing to share a bed with you," Buwaro continued. "You are _unworthy_ of _being fucked_ , much less worthy of a boyfriend who cares so deeply about you. I would sooner roll my dick on a cactus than touch or see you in any kind of sensual way, as would anyone who is smarter than your average _rock_. How the general developed such a specific retardation is beyond me."

Azurai glared at Buwaro, shaking, while the younger Demon probed his superior's mind for weakness. Azurai was furious, filled with a seething hatred – that much was clear from the start. But then the boy felt something else from the irritable Fire Demon.

He felt a sense that Azurai feared that he was right. Buwaro was taken aback by this, but the young Sith schooled his expression quickly. "If you maybe weren't willing to kill potential allies, I'd be fine with you," he pressed on, "but from what I hear, you once killed a trainee during a training match because he chopped your horn in half. I don't care what kind of pride you take in your horns, that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable. It's the sort of thing an Angel would do to us, not one of our own. You should be ashamed of yourself for that alone. Even _I_ can master my temper better than you. That's _pathetic_."

Azurai shook with rage and shame alike, clearly visible for all to see. Buwaro merely turned away, his eyes on the ground and his expression downcast. He wasn't sure he'd done the right thing, but he had to say it. He had to at least try to make Azurai see that someone did not fear him just because he was a psycho.

That evening, Buwaro was confronted in his tent by a _very_ angry Iratu. "You know," he said quietly, "I've never seen Azurai cry before. He said you'd said he was an Angel in terms of his hate."

Buwaro glared at Iratu in response, trying to hide his fear. "With all due respect, sir," he said crisply, "I only said he was as psychotic as they are. I would rather he cried, and understood that he needs to change his behavior, than not have gotten anything from him. If I could have been gentler and gotten the same self-reflection, I would have, but he seems to resist and ignore anything that isn't a slap in the face."

Iratu growled in response. "That's not your place."

"You're right. It's yours – and you weren't doing it," Buwaro snarled back. "You were too worried about your boyfriend to care for his psyche." He closed his eyes and calmed himself. "I will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary, without complaint," he finally said quietly, "but I was not wrong to gain the results I gained. I was only wrong in my methods, and for that I do apologize to him, and to you."

Iratu snorted. "You get ten lashes, then," he said. "It was gonna be fifty, but if you apologize to him tomorrow, before you get 'em, you get only ten."

Buwaro grimaced, but bowed his head. "Yes sir," he said quietly. He did not lift his eyes, even as Iratu left.

The next morning, Buwaro was good to his word, bowing deeply at the waist before Azurai and not straightening from the stance. "I was wrong to try and hurt you," he said formally, "and I apologize for it."

Azurai snorted. "You bow like an Angel," he commented.

"My mentor told me that to show remorse for one's actions," Buwaro responded, still at an angle that allowed only the ground in his vision, "that you should not even look at the person you wronged, and this seemed the most appropriate for that."

"...fine," Azurai grumbled. "I accept your apology. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for givin' you such a bitch time at first."

"I accept your apology as well," Buwaro replied, slowly straightening. He removed his shirt and leaned against the pole, closing his eyes as he heard Iratu approach. He knew that whip would hurt, but he would be stoic in the face of the lashes. So to speak.

The lashes hurt far more than he was expecting, though, and he gave a yelp at the first one. After that one, however, he managed to school his throat, breathing in and out quickly and holding his lungs empty after each lash. The remaining nine didn't elicit a peep from him, if only for the breathing exercise. "Don't do it again," Iratu commanded.

"If I could make that promise," Buwaro muttered weakly, "I would. I do not expect to be a grunt forever, though," he said, turning his gaze to Iratu. The Earth Demon straightened at the harsh glare, but said nothing as he walked away.

"You're tougher than I thought, at least," Azurai noted. "Maybe you'll survive this war after all." Dakos only nodded approvingly at Buwaro's resistance. The boy nodded and smiled weakly, not quite feeling as tough as everyone seemed to think.

In fact, he staggered his way back to his tent, getting a few chuckles from the other Demons.

* * *

In spite of it all, Buwaro was picked to undertake a mission: he and his group, along with several other groups of Demons, were to take Medius. Buwaro blinked at that, but the plan was laid out before him and many others.

The group had several Angels ready to be sacrificed for the power of a ritual. By using this ritual, they could call Angels to Medius as they traveled there – thus allowing for more Demons to be called up by the sacrifice of Angels. Buwaro raised his claw. "What about the Guardians?" he asked. "Siara and Melli will have a fit."

"That's where Moonshade comes into play," Iratu grinned, as a Jakkai with sewn-up ears and a green and a red eye walked into view. Buwaro stared at the Jakkai, frowning at him – he seemed very different, and he wasn't sure how or why. "Moonshade is one of the scions of the Guardian Moku," Iratu said, getting Buwaro's attention, "and he's been assassinating other scions so that when Moku dies – by his hand – there will be nowhere else for the power to go."

Buwaro's eyes widened slightly. "So we'll have another Guardian backing us up," he said in understanding, "to fight them off."

"And assassinate them as needed," Iratu grinned.

Now Buwaro understood. The Great War was about to get a lot worse – and he _needed_ to contact his master at the next opportunity. He said nothing, though, and swallowed his thoughts as he saw an Angel brought to the ritual circle. He watched intently, only distracted for a moment when he saw another Angel – this one in a black uniform.

Buwaro quickly probed the Angel's mind and found a strong wall – not quite Force-empowered, but definitely strong. He didn't dare press, in case he somehow found out.

Then, Buwaro entered the Light of Ascension with Lazuli, Dakos, and Talus, and arrived on Medius in the dead of winter.

* * *

The first few days of the winter on Medius were simple. Buwaro helped set up camp and get their survival supplies ready, meditating and occasionally scouting for them. Dakos had been surprised that the boy was reasonably stealthy – something none of the other Demons could claim.

Finally, Buwaro left to "scout" one night. Instead, he wandered off far away and contacted his master. He was actually due in about a week, but this was too important. Finally, the call got through. "Buwaro? This is a surprise."

"I'm on Medius," Buwaro said. "There's an invasion being planned. The Guardians are being targeted, as are the Angels. I'm not sure what to do."

Darth Imperius frowned, thinking. "Contact me tomorrow night, and upload what you've recorded up until now."

"Yes sir," Buwaro said, doing so quickly. He then went to actually scout. He _did_ have a job, after all.

When Buwaro finally returned to camp, Dakos frowned. "What kept ya?"

"Got a bit lost," Buwaro "admitted." "I almost wandered into Farun's borders."

"How do you know what it's called?" Lazuli asked.

"I read the sign not long after we got here," Buwaro said, rolling his eyes.

"You read?" Dakos said, surprised.

"...you don't?" Buwaro asked, then looked away, ashamed of his question.

"Where'd you even learn?" Talus asked.

Buwaro blinked. "...do none of you read?" he asked quietly. This got his mind to working, the gears turning away. Probing each of their minds quickly, he slowly said, "I could teach you, if you wanted." He knew their answers.

Dakos snorted. "No need."

"Sorry, not interested," Lazuli shrugged.

"I tried once," Talus said, "but I couldn't get it. You'd probably be wasting your time."

Buwaro sighed, perhaps a bit too theatrically. "Well, the offer's open, period," he said, going to his tent to settle in. He was somewhat glad – this meant he could leave messages if he had to, and his fellows wouldn't know what had happened.

He then grimaced as he realized his thoughts – it was kind of a betrayal, to do that, but with any luck his actions would do something positive. He was going to win this War. And if he could, he would win it with no more sacrificed Angels.

He knew enough about the Great War to know why the Demons really lost – they had no PR. What they really needed was the Angels' best weapon – rapport with the Medians. There was no true victory if the conquered were more numerous and wanted to rise up. By adding the Medians, they would remove the numbers equation.

The realization that he was back to his calculating thoughts was a bit irritating. _'_ _I'm thinking more and more like a Sith all the time,'_ he thought sourly, and tried to sleep.

* * *

The next day was quiet for the most part. Buwaro scouted again, and found that there were Angels in Farun. They seemed to have arrived yesterday, though not with the same ritual that had brought them in – there were three, while they had four. Buwaro watched them for a while from a tree on the edge of town, but he sensed something unusual – the girl of the three was like him, a Sensitive. The thought made him nervous, until he realized she hadn't yet tapped her potential. He returned to camp to report, and they began to plan for an ambush.

That night, Buwaro "scouted" to call his master again. Once he got through, Imperius stated, "Alright – we're on our way. We're going to try and prevent an incident."

Buwaro nodded. "In the meantime, there's an Angel in town who seems to be a Sensitive. She hasn't awakened her talent yet. And, I didn't tell you about the ritual we used."

Imperius frowned. "Is it different from the one on record?"

"Very," Buwaro grimaced. He quietly explained the details.

Imperius looked mildly sick, and quite angry. "Why is that necessary, now?" he asked quietly. "You said the Guardian spirits were being targeted – could the Gods perhaps be real?"

"Maybe," Buwaro said quietly. "...I'm going to need everything the Force can grant me on this, aren't I?"

"That, and perhaps more," Imperius replied. "We can get there in three weeks – try not to arouse any suspicions in that time. Get the girl, and keep her safe – just in case we can train her, too. In the meantime, I'll send you a new meditation exercise."

"Yes, my master," Buwaro nodded. "Thank you." They cut the call, and Buwaro transferred the data to his datapad as he started performing his duty.

Thankfully, his allies bought his "lost" excuse again, even though he didn't take quite as long as before. "I'm going with you next time," Dakos snorted. "Maybe then you'll remember the way back."

"Thanks," Buwaro replied smally. Hopefully he didn't need contact from Imperius, and moreso that Dakos didn't ruin the actual scouting.


	4. Chapter 4

A week passed. Dakos had helped Buwaro on one scouting mission, and the boy got back just fine that time. "I finally started to get the layout," he'd explained, but the older Fire Demon didn't seem to quite buy it.

At least Lazuli and Talus seemed to accept his explanation.

The meditation exercises helped too – he was able to enhance his body in additional ways, now, resisting physical extremes and applying his power to his punches and claw strikes. With his defensive skill, he was now in a very secure position for combat.

By that time, they had a plan to take on the Angels. Dakos was a very skilled warrior, and he would lead the Angels on a run out of town. The other three would watch and ambush whomever seemed to be slowest. "Shouldn't someone back you up, just in case?" Buwaro asked Dakos.

"I guess," the Demon snorted. "Lazuli?"

"Alright," she nodded. "I'll wait for you beyond the edge of town. Buwaro, can you show us a good spot to ambush them?" Buwaro nodded and went back to the rough map he'd sketched using paper and a pencil, both of which he'd pilfered from a Jakkai village.

Once everyone had their plan down, the two groups slipped out of their clearing, and they began their preparations for the ambush. Buwaro was with Talus, watching while Dakos led the three Angels on a merry chase. The girl was the one who lagged behind.

The Sensitive. Buwaro grimaced and nodded to Talus. The Earth Demon stepped out in front of her, to her shock, and she went to full defense, avoiding his axe strike.

Buwaro was instantly behind her. Not worried about defense just yet, he swiped at her rapidly, missing horribly but knocking her completely off-balance. She swung at him, scared out of her wits, and Buwaro was glad she wasn't well-trained in the Force yet – her swing went wide, but that fear might have fed her power.

Talus swiped with his claws, and the girl barely deflected the worst of the blow, only getting scraped. Buwaro lunged forward, swiping her collar and chest with his claws and eliciting a yelp of pain from her. She stumbled into the wall, and wildly swung again.

She connected this time, and Buwaro grit his teeth against the pain – he vaguely wondered if this was how others felt when they were on fire. That sword must have had the Light magic in it to hurt so much. Either way, she was completely off-balance, and Talus's next swipe at her back spun her to face him. She then got another slash on her back from Buwaro, and she fell weakly, whimpering. Buwaro quickly gathered her up and placed the suppression cuffs on her, while Talus wrapped up her blessed belongings; in short order, the two had rushed off to camp again before they were spotted.

Once they were back, Buwaro noted that Lazuli and Dakos weren't back yet. He sighed quietly. "Talus, can you get to the ambush point?"

"Yeah, sure," the Earth Demon replied. "I'll help 'em out. We only need one to watch her anyway." Buwaro nodded, glancing at the girl and her suppression cuffs. He wondered idly, as Talus left, if they'd suppress the Force too.

Not likely, but perhaps they could be enhanced to do so? He shook his head and began patching her up.

After some time, Buwaro heard Talus's heavy footsteps. Glancing out to his three allies, he noticed they had the two other Angels. That was almost a relief, save for the fact that it might have made his real job harder. Still, he nodded, smiling. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah," Dakos grunted. "Can you get some rope from that Jakkai village?"

"I can try," Buwaro said. "Keep watch over 'em, will you?"

"Will do," Lazuli smiled darkly.

"And don't beat 'em up any worse," he added.

"Fine," she scowled, and Buwaro just laughed at her nonplussed expression as he left.

Getting the rope was relatively easy – the same abandoned house as before had lots of supplies, and even a spare backpack. He simply appropriated all of the food, the rope he needed, and a few blankets as precaution, before calling Imperius from the bedroom. He ended up having to leave a message for the Sith. "Master," he said, "we've captured the three in town – including the Sensitive. I'm heading back to the group now, I went on a 'supply run.' I'll contact you when I can."

Once that was done, he returned to the camp and showed them his pilfered goods. The girl was awake now, and shivering in terror. He wondered quietly if she was as young and green as she seemed.

Lazuli approached the girl, violent intent in her posture. "Haven't had enough, huh?" she sneered, before Buwaro grabbed her shoulder. "What?"

"I think we need them alive," Buwaro said coldly.

"I wasn't gonna kill her," Lazuli snorted. "Just rough her up."

"And at this point, she's fragile enough that you might break something important," the Fire Demon snapped back. "She's not trying to fight, you imbecile – look at her, she's nearly pissing herself." The girl winced and looked away in shame. Buwaro grimaced. "Just back off, okay?" he told Lazuli quietly.

"Fine," she snapped, "treat your _girlfriend._ "

Buwaro glared at her, but knelt by the Angel girl. "You understand Lingo, huh?" he asked. She nodded weakly. "Alright. Just making sure." He glanced at the two boys, still mostly unconscious, before binding them all together by their cuffs.

* * *

 

Over the next three weeks, the group trudged through the snow, then the grasslands as the snow melted, the three Angels being led along by their captors. Buwaro probed the Angels' minds during this time, and got some very interesting facts from them.

One, the blue-haired ones were twins – from the same mother, same pregnancy, and same clan, the Suizahns – and the boy was Kazai, while his sister was Kieri.

Two, the red-haired one, Zahariah Sanjulo, and the blue boy were quite enamored with each other, and keeping it a secret – apparently, Angels had a problem with different Elements being in love. They thought that a "pure" bloodline would be stronger, so it was almost taboo. Buwaro couldn't help but think of the pureblooded Sith, the original occupants of Korriban, and was disgusted.

Three, the girl – Kieri – had been systematically abused by her mother, emotionally, verbally, and eventually even physically. Kieri had gotten to the point where the girl had actively contemplated suicide before, and was doing so now.

In fact, the day of their arrival above the Gathering in St. Curtis, she had managed to pilfer a shard of glass from a broken jar of preserved food that Buwaro had acquired, and she was about to swallow it when Buwaro caught her wrist. He gently shook his head and held his hand out below hers, for her to drop it. She shivered and did so, looking away in shame. _'Mother was right,'_ she thought, clear to Buwaro's mind. _'I truly am worthless.'_

Buwaro had had enough of her self-loathing by this point, and began to seethe as he glared at her. She shivered, terrified by his glowing eyes and furious gaze, until, several seconds later, he dimmed his eyes, leaned close, and whispered in her ear, "Your mother was a monster to say that to her own flesh and blood." He then strode forward, ignoring her stare of stupefied shock. No one else seemed to hear what he said clearly.

"What happened?" Dakos asked as Buwaro caught up with him.

"She had a shard of glass from that jar we broke," Buwaro snorted. "She seemed ready to swallow it."

"Shit," Dakos muttered, then nodded. "Good eye," he praised Buwaro, then returned his gaze to the road before them.

When they made camp that night, settled into the mountainswest of the city, Buwaro went to scout again – this time, seeking to scout the city. Seeing the number of people, he stayed well out of the light, instead bringing as much focus as he could to bear to scan over the town itself. It took him a while to build any real focus, for which he became frustrated.

Taking a moment to sit and center himself, he focused on his thoughts. He quickly realized he was distracted by the girl's plight – she was willing to die, she _wanted_ to die, simply because of her mother's evil. The thought enraged him, scoured his thoughts of all other concerns in a way he hadn't expected.

Then again, how could one prepare for such an awful discovery?

Further, he realized that he could sense _three_ great sources of power. He shuddered for a moment – were they all Guardians? Or were they the Gods? And why did one feel vaguely familiar – as if he'd sensed it before, but only briefly?

Then, his holocommunicator vibrated gently, startling him, and he quickly withdrew it, slinking off to hide behind a tree. He then smiled as an idea occurred to him. Perhaps his master could give Kieri the same loving attention that he'd gotten. As for the Guardians...he simply had to hope none of them tried to kill him before he spoke.

Finally, he activated the com and sighed. "Master," he said, "I'm sorry I didn't get back to you. There wasn't much time."

"It's fine," Imperius said. "I just leaned on the console, honestly. I was worried I'd blown your cover, so I tried to turn it off. Anyway, we're above Medius now. Can I get your location?"

"Yes sir," Buwaro said, pressing a button to broadcast his coordinates.

"We'll be there tomorrow morning. Xalek and Ashara can't wait to see you again, and Talos wants to see a Median city personally."

Buwaro smirked. "Of course the archaeologist wants to see living history." He then frowned. "Master, while we're here...there is something major troubling me. The girl, Kieri – the Sensitive – she's suicidal. Her mother seems to have been a complete monster, an abusive creature from some mythical hell of the galaxy."

Imperius was silent. "Abusive?" the Darth echoed, obviously shaken by this news. "She hurt her own child?"

"Apparently she wasn't a perfect warrior, so she was therefore completely incompetent and utterly worthless," Buwaro growled, the sarcasm dripping from his voice like venom from a serpent's fangs. "Verbal, emotional, physical – the only thing she _didn't_ do was violate the girl sexually. Likely out of loathing for the girl, more than anything."

Imperius shook with rage. "I will take care of this," he snarled lowly. Smartly, he continued, "Buwaro – good work bringing this to my attention. I will do what I can for her."

"Thank you," Buwaro smiled, relieved. "Is there anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," the man smiled. "Go return to your group."

"Scouting first," Buwaro smiled. The man nodded and chuckled.

Returning the holocom to his pack, Buwaro returned to his meditative focus, and found himself somewhat calmer. It still took him almost two minutes to reach out far enough to the city. He soon found a Demon mind, wandering publicly, to his confusion – Lakritz's. Apparently, Lakritz and Sahne were with an Angel and her son, wandering and taking in the sights.

No one seemed to be in any distress as he scanned further.

Buwaro stood up and thought for a moment, before entering the city. He was worried, but everyone seemed to notice him, wave, and then ignore him for the most part. Curiously, he scanned the minds of a few passersby.

The initial minds he scanned all thought he was in a costume, and that he wasn't really a Demon – nor were the Angels actually Angels to them. In fact, most seemed to think that, if they were real, that maybe the Great War was really over. A few thought it was the end times, and some were terrified of him, but for the most part people just shrugged and accepted it, and thought they were costumed roleplayers, or part of a convention they hadn't heard of, or something equally silly and harmless.

Now Buwaro was worried. They weren't expecting this attack at all – and they would be decimated, devastated, by the resurgence of the Great War. This was definitely something he had to tell Imperius. He wondered if he could get a place to stay at a hotel. Likely not, as it seemed the festival that the Medians were here for was packed with people. That fact worried him all the more. He didn't have any coin, either – which only made it worse.

Finally, he returned to the group, dazed. "What took you this time?" Lazuli teased. "Get lost in the open plain?"

"There are Angels and Demons in the town, openly," he replied quietly.

Everyone who understood Lingo perked up at that. "Oh?" Dakos asked.

"Yeah, they don't seem to think we're 'real' – like we're in costume or something," Buwaro shrugged.

"Weird," Talus grunted. "Well, we can hide out there, then?"

"Yeah, if we have to," Buwaro smirked. "We don't even necessarily have to hide. Tomorrow, we can stroll in in broad daylight and no one will care, except for our prisoners. As for that, I'll sneak 'em in somehow."

* * *

The next day, Buwaro's allies discovered the truth of his word, while Buwaro himself quietly led the Angels through the unused streets to the Gathering. Once there, he told Iratu his findings, and handed the three Angels over by their rope. He and his crew had already gathered one, it seemed – this Angel was all beaten up and looked to be a middle-aged, well-worn warrior. Buwaro grimaced at the man's virulent glare, but said nothing.

Finally, as he was wandering the streets, Buwaro saw a middle-aged man with glasses and a cigarette struggling with a heavy crate. The young Fire Demon walked over and helped him, much to the man's obvious surprise. "Know anywhere I can get some work?" Buwaro asked. "I ran short on cash on the way over."

"Right," the man scowled, glaring at him harshly. Even without using the Force, Buwaro knew right then that the man was likely one of the city's anti-Demon types, and one of the few who knew he was the real deal. "Well, if you want work," he continued, "maybe you can talk to the Trouble Help Center."

"The huh-wha?" Buwaro asked.

"Like a bounty board for troubles around town," the man shrugged. "Go talk to the guy at the booth with the green smiley face."

"Thanks," Buwaro said, smiling. "Any more heavy stuff?"

"Two more crates, yeah," the man snorted. "You offering to help?"

"Sure," Buwaro smiled. "I'm Buwaro, by the way – what's your name?"

"Heathcliff Sinclair," the man responded, still wary.

Seeing the man's caution and understanding it, Buwaro made sure to be respectful and quiet as he helped Heathcliff carry the crates. They were able to get the entire load of product hauled into the wagon in just under five minutes. As they finished, a young girl came over, curious about Buwaro. "Sammy, be careful," Heathcliff warned.

She stared at Buwaro for a bit, before he smiled. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Well aren't you polite," she grinned. "Nah, just wonderin' what you're doin' hanging around Uncle Heathcliff."

"Just helping him with the last few crates," Buwaro said. "Uh, speaking of which, sir," he added sheepishly, "if you don't mind..."

The man blinked, then shrugged. "Sure, you cut my time and potential back injury rate pretty heavily," he said, and handed the boy three silver coins. Buwaro bowed as he pocketed them, and the man smiled genuinely at the boy's respect. "No need to be so formal about it," he said.

"Every bit helps right now," Buwaro said, tail wagging. "I have some allies that need a place to stay." Sammy giggled as his tail-spade plopped into her face on accident, while Heathcliff looked surprised at the wording Buwaro used. Either way, the young Fire Demon left.

After getting the official button-badge of the Trouble Help Center, Buwaro felt it – his master was approaching the town, likely on foot. He hustled to find a place to stay in the inns. There was, in fact, one room open at the third inn he found, the White Lion's, but it would be cramped for four people. Buwaro decided to wait and see if Sepith was willing to stay in town on his apprentice's dime.

Darth Imperius listened to Buwaro's proposal. "Yes, I suppose it would be easier if we were in town," he said with a slow nod. "It will make it easier to counteract the attack of these Hellions."

"I'll join you in paying it off," Talos said with a grin, "I don't want to be a complete freeloader on this trip." Buwaro laughed, and the two got Talos a button to wear for their side jobs. It would be a full afternoon.

* * *

Sepith reclined on a park bench, dressed in as casual clothing as he would consider: dark grey robes with not-quite lavender trim and a brown cloak. The cloak was a gift from an allied Jedi after a great battle against a faction of doomsayers that concerned both Jedi and Sith. The cloak itself had a secret pocket for a meditative focus, a simple charm that allowed those whose power was more steeped in the Light Side to channel their power more easily. The focus was the real gift, but the cloak allowed for its delivery.

Sepith only rarely wore the cloak, as it clashed with most of his gear, but he had a feeling he'd need the focus it stored before this festival was over.

It wasn't long before a man came by – hair greying, but the brown still very visible, wearing glasses and with a cigarette in his mouth. Sepith was sure he felt a second life form in the man's pocket – one of the Fairies, likely. He nodded a greeting to the man, who sat by him. "You're an unusual one, aren't you?" the man asked.

"You could say that," Sepith smiled. "An unusual greeting. Sepith Veilcurse. You?"

"Heathcliff Sinclair," the man responded. "I saw the purple Demon talking to you earlier. His name was Buwaro, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," Sepith nodded. "I've taught the boy quite a bit since I first found him. Barely four at the time." Heathcliff perked up at that, seeming surprised. "Shocked that they're born like everyone else?" Sepith quipped.

"More than a little," Heathcliff grunted.

They were silent for a bit. "He and I seek allies," Sepith said. "You overheard more than just his name, didn't you?"

The man nodded. "The Demons are really planning an attack, huh?"

"Medius is the prize, but not the target," Sepith replied. "You'll need all the help you can get, I think."

Heathcliff grimaced. "I'm not so sure."

"Two Guardians will be no help if they can kill one discreetly," Sepith said quietly. Heathcliff's eyes widened as his head jerked to stare at the Darth, as if unsure of what to think. "I can sense them," Sepith explained. "The boy has a similar power as I do, which is why I was so eager to train him. Still, he'll need lots of help. I'm powerful, but I don't quite know how powerful I'll need to be – and there's one in town whom I can only assume, based on his power and his closeness to the Demons, is there to help perform the dirty deed."

Heathcliff glanced away. "Where can I meet you, then?" he asked quietly.

"The White Lion inn," the sith smiled. "Just ask for me by name." He slowly got up and nodded a farewell, leaving the man to ponder what had just occurred.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the next morning. Buwaro had spent most of the night awake, unable to think about anything but the upcoming attack. His master had informed him that one of the powerful forces was extremely steeped in the Dark Side, and the other two – as far as he could tell – were the world's Guardians. Heathcliff Sinclair was likely related – by blood – to another Guardian, as each had a unique feel that didn't match with the middle-aged man. In fact, Sepith could sense eleven Guardians as far as he could tell on Medius itself; the twelfth one might be dead already, by Moonshade's actions.

In fact, Buwaro could tell that night that it was Moonshade that was so steeped in the Dark Side. That was worrisome.

Buwaro gently probed the Jakkai's mind that night as they slept, but he kept coming across the walls from before. All he could tell was that he'd killed all of Moku's descendants, and then Moku himself. Somehow, Buwaro got the feeling he'd absorbed Moku's power in the process. He wasn't sure how, but then, Sepith had said he had learned a ritual to bind Force Ghosts to oneself for power.

It was a shame that Buwaro was likely unable to make the journeys he'd need to properly bind more than one. He might need the power in a couple days.

Either way, Buwaro's meditation exercises brought to him a new power – to touch the life of other creatures, and either draw it away or bolster it. He wasn't very good with it, yet, but he would be in time, he was sure. Besides, healing his own wounds would be useful when he had a moment away from battle.

That morning, after everyone had left the Coiled Cobra – where the Gathering would be held – Buwaro walked to the basement where the Angels were being kept. Luckily, everyone expected him to be on guard duty that morning, as he'd volunteered. Even if anyone was here, his being down here wouldn't be suspicious. He approached Kieri, kneeling by her while the other three captured thus far glared hatefully at him.

He took a breath as he prepared to address the girl. "I want to make something clear," he said to her. "I intend to get you out alive. The others, my master can take or leave," he admitted, "but if possible, I want to get _everyone_ out of here alive. That includes my fellows, and yours." She stared at him sidelong, as if unsure. "My master is gathering information now," he said. "We'll share this afternoon, and hopefully have a solution that doesn't involve blasting things with lightning. If not, we'll have to be more careful and subtle, but I'm sure we can do it, Kieri Suizahn."

Her cuffs clicked and fell off, to everyone's surprise but Buwaro's. "You need to stay here long enough to keep the ruse up," he continued. "I just want you to explain to your friends that I intend to end the War, not perpetuate it."

Kieri stared at him, shocked, but nodded and began to address the other three Angels in Angelic. Meanwhile, Buwaro turned his attention to the Denevol, and gently laid his hands on the man's wounds to heal them. The man stared in shocked silence at his body, then at Buwaro. "I can only heal the worst of it, or they might suspect something," Buwaro said, "but I intend to give you the help you need to get out of here safely."

The man slowly nodded. Buwaro smiled – that was progress. He then began to do the same for Kazai and Zahariah, soothing their injuries. "Alright," he told Kieri, "I need to put them back on. I'll try and get you your Pendants and weapons so that you're out of here when the attack fails. If possible, try not to kill them all." Kieri hesitantly nodded and let him put the cuffs back on, after which he soothed her wounds as well.

Once they were done, Buwaro walked up the stairs and continued his "guard duty." He hoped Talos was okay.

 

* * *

 

The day ended, and Buwaro left to "enjoy the night life." Meeting up with Sepith, he found Heathcliff and the two supremely-powerful entities with him – a foppish-looking, dark-skinned Human male in black and red, and a Jakkai woman in red shades and a flower motif – gathered in a park that was basically empty. "And that would be him," Sepith said. "Gentlemen, lady, my apprentice."

The woman scowled at Buwaro, looking half-ready to attack. "Calm down, Melli," the foppish man said, confirming Buwaro's suspicions. "He's not here to fight, that much is obvious."

"I can't trust him," Melli snapped. "You know what those monsters are capable of, Meeros."

Buwaro frowned deeply and knelt before the woman, sitting on his legs. "You have no idea what I am capable of, though," he said quietly. "Nor my master. And to be frank, I am hardly the one you should be concerned about. I'm not looking for death and destruction, and I think my fellows are fools at best for doing so."

"And what would you do?" Melli snarled.

"Get some public relations, get some people to understand 'our side' of the story, and sue for peace once we have a backing." She blinked, as if surprised. "I've had too much time to think about it," Buwaro grumbled. "Did you know there's less than ten thousand Demons right now? Any idea how many Angels are left?"

"About the same," Meeros said quietly. "I stayed neutral for a reason, you know, and it wasn't cowardice."

Buwaro glanced up at him. "Get that accusation a lot, huh?" he asked, standing and dusting off his pants.

"Oh, all the time."

"You must meet a lot of idiots," Buwaro smirked. The Guardian only laughed at that.

"Any news on the missing Guardian?" Sepith asked.

"It's that Moonshade character I mentioned," Buwaro said. "Meeros, you might want to shadow Melli for a while – judging by his comments, I think she's his next target, but we shouldn't tip our hand too early."

"Hmm," Meeros scowled, though he looked to be thinking more than disapproving. "I suppose it would be alright to play recon for a while. Just, be careful, alright?"

Buwaro nodded. "I have a plan of sorts. Master, would you mind healing Melli if she has to retreat? And if she does, Meeros, would you mind blocking the way?"

"I could do that," Sepith nodded.

"Should be fine, so long as I don't have to fight the whole time she's gone," Meeros smirked.

"Just enough to let her get away," Buwaro replied. "If he looks weakened enough, though, go for it."

"Well duh," the Guardian chuckled.

"I should probably get back before someone notices I'm gone," Buwaro finally said. "See ya, guys." He slipped off into the night, hurrying back to the Coiled Cobra.

Once there, Buwaro found everyone was mostly asleep, save for Iratu. "Buwaro?" he said quietly. "Walk with me, will ya?"

"Sure," Buwaro said, following the Earth Demon. He quietly probed his general's mind for what this was about. From what the boy could tell, Iratu was still worried about Buwaro's earlier dismissal of their enemies, the Angels.

They wandered around a few blocks before Iratu spoke. "Are you doing alright?" he asked.

"You sure seem to like talking to me," Buwaro noted.

Iratu winced. "I...wanted to say how I knew ya."

"Alright," Buwaro said. "You did say you might tell me someday."

"We – you, I, and Sakido – we were all adopted, see. By a guy named Darius. He took care of us for a long time."

Buwaro nodded, his expression schooled. The thought of the dangerous, powerful Sakido once being under an Angel's wing had shocked him, but not as much as being "related" to her. "So, why don't I remember him?" he asked his brother.

"He died about a year after he found you," Iratu said.

"Was he the source of our two Pendants?" Buwaro asked, seeming pensive.

Iratu hesitated. "Yes," he said quietly.

"So, we were adopted by an Angel," the Fire Demon mused. "Then why are you working for the people trying to kill them all? Obviously, one good Angel means there are more."

"But that's the thing," Iratu grumbled, "there aren't any more from what I can tell."

"How many have you met?" Buwaro challenged. "And how many of these Angels have met us in a place besides the field of battle?"

Iratu blinked. "...few," he muttered. "You're taking this pretty well."

"New information that makes old information obsolete should be used, not discarded," Buwaro replied. "I've been lied to about their nature. Why shouldn't I question everything else I know about them, or that I've been told?"

Iratu glared at Buwaro. "There's a lot of them trying to kill us, numbskull," he snapped.

"You think I don't know that?" Buwaro retorted. "If you think I'm just going to open my arms and go hippie on them, that's stupid. But I'm not going to ignore the potential for gain."

Iratu smirked. "Yeah? I guess Hakka and Nikkei agree with you." Buwaro blinked. "They found an Earth Angel – a Seraph no less – willing to switch sides. Her name's Verammi."

Buwaro's eyes narrowed in irritation. He wasn't sure what that was about, so he went with his gut instinct. "A Seraph would be at least as indoctrinated as I've been," he said. "I'd be extremely cautious with her."

"She seems to believe we're the winning side," Iratu shrugged.

Buwaro frowned. "We'll talk tomorrow, I guess," he said quietly. "Maybe I should go find her."

"Don't," Iratu replied. "She's still holding her cover."

The two didn't talk as they returned, and Buwaro got the feeling Iratu suspected something. He mentally cursed in his own head, hoping that his plan wasn't going to be compromised.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day opened, somewhat cloudy and gloomy. Buwaro quietly watched Moonshade at work, letting the Jakkai see him on rare occasion when he was "distracted." He figured the bastard would believe it all a coincidence, especially since the attack was going to begin right in the midway where Melli had set up.

In fact, Buwaro approached Melli's stand later on, and after some bluffs on her part about thinking he was just a Demon, he began to back off in an attempt to "avoid her wrath."

Moonshade struck, cutting Melli's "assault" off and letting Buwaro "escape." As he rounded the corner, he heard the scream of pain, and the screams of the midway's Medians as they fled. Shortly thereafter, "Moku" rose above the whole of the buildings.

Buwaro was almost offended by the fact that the assassin started _gloating_.

Meeros struck a moment later, and the melee was on. Melli fell back long enough to get healed up while Moonshade and Meeros dueled, Wind versus Earth. The Mortori Bird Guardian was driven back eventually, but by then Melli was fully healed thanks to Sepith's immense power. "Moku" was stunned as he was assaulted from behind, already wounded and exhausted, while Melli pushed him to his limits with wild stings and strikes.

Still, she didn't use Fire magic, in order to not affect the great tree of St. Curtis, and so was eventually driven to the ground. Wounded, she began to flee, Moonshade in hot pursuit. Buwaro followed after them, using his power in the Force to follow them. The effort was exhausting, but he managed to do so for a while.

As he was running out of steam, he sensed someone powerful approaching and tensed up – then relaxed as he recognized his master. The man hopped down from a roof. "I healed Meeros," he said quietly. "Everything should be fine."

"Good," Buwaro replied, huffing and leaning on a wall. "I need actual conditioning," he noted.

"We'll work on that when we get a chance," Sepith replied. "For now, get some rest, and I'll make sure that this attack doesn't go off if I have to." Buwaro nodded and returned to the Coiled Cobra, walking slowly so he could regain his breath.

A while after he arrived, Moonshade stumbled in, badly wounded but alive. "Fuck," he grumbled. "The attack's off. The Guardians double-teamed me."

Buwaro nodded, sighing. "Damn. Did they know you were coming?"

"Almost seemed like it," Moonshade grumbled. "We should head back to Hell with these guys, for now."

"What a waste," Buwaro grumbled. "Nothing for it, though."

"Not really."

In time, the entire brigade made it back to the Coiled Cobra, and prepared to make their way out of town in the dead of night. Verammi, looking quite irritated with the end result, would carry the now-passed-out Moonshade. They would make their way back to Hell from a place in the northern end of the mountains. Buwaro quietly hoped that they could get the Angels out of these soldiers' grasp quickly, or he might lose a possible friend and fellow apprentice.

He wasn't sure which would hurt more.

 

* * *

 

 

Night fell. The Demons left St. Curtis while everyone else was on lockdown, hiding in their homes and rented rooms. Buwaro was just glad that few people got hurt. They made it out of town quickly with their four Angels, and headed up the road towards the mountains.

It was maybe an hour before they got into the mountains, and they hustled into a deep, yet small depression, almost an extremely tiny valley. At that point, Buwaro shivered as he felt the approach of several familiar, powerful beings – beings he'd spent a good deal of his life with. It seemed his master and his crew were approaching. Buwaro kept a close watch for them, just in case, while Tsavo and Hakka began setting up the ritual to return to Hell.

Then, as they were about half-way through the ritual, a bolt of violet lightning struck dead in the center of the circle, shattering the effect and sending a harmless shockwave of violet energy through the clearing. Buwaro winced and glanced around, seeing Sepith standing tall on a large rock. Behind him were Andronikos and Talos, both with pistols in hand; to his side were Xalek and Ashara, lightsabers ignited; and in front of them was Khem Val, holding a large, heavy-looking sword that Buwaro was sure he'd seen at the fair's market, in the "cosplay" booth. "I would suggest you let them go," Sepith said quietly, yet his voice seemed to carry for a mile and a half with its weight.

Moonshade was slowly waking up, having apparently felt the violent attack's energies as they rippled out – somehow. Buwaro saw his eyes widen, and _felt_ realization from the Jakkai – he could sense the Jakkai's emotions without any focus. Before he could recover from this unusual realization, and make sense of it, the fake Guardian rushed off into the night, and Buwaro was almost instantly unable to sense him, _at all_. The boy blinked, confused, then realized what had happened: he'd used the Force to cloak his power.

Moonshade had learned the ways of the Force. _'Shit,'_ Buwaro thought, _'that is_ _not_ _good.'_


	6. Chapter 6

Silence reigned for a moment. The Demons were unsure what to do. Finally, Sepith commanded, "Stand down. I do not wish to kill you."

Buwaro suddenly saw an opportunity. "Moonshade left," he said, glancing at where the Jakkai once lay. "I saw him run off. He saw something in these strangers that he wasn't willing to face – at least not as he was."

Several Demons flinched, and Iratu growled. "Then we die on our feet," he snarled, rushing the group of unusual beings, popping his Moon Pendant into place as he did.

Khem Val took the Earth Demon's slash with barely so much as a flinch. He then stabbed deep into Iratu's chest, blood gushing from the wound as the Dashade planted his foot on the Earth Demon's chest, then yanked the blade out and shoved the general over. [I will feast,] he leered.

"Don't you dare!" Buwaro shouted, rushing forward to protect his brother.

"Khem, do not kill him," Sepith said, his voice sharp.

There was a tense pause as Khem Val seethed at the order. [Very well, _Master_ ,] the great monster spat, stepping back.

Buwaro quickly began to use his newfound power to heal, and soon the blood stopped gushing out. A few more moments sealed the worst of the wounds. Iratu would still be weak for some time, but he would live. Buwaro breathed out a sigh of relief, while Azurai approached. "How the hell did you do that?" he asked quietly.

"Practice," Buwaro snapped, his temper roused at the moment. "Help me pull him back," he added more quietly, popping the Pendant back out of place for ease of dragging. Azurai nodded and helped Buwaro pull the general back.

The Demons were silent, staring at the scene and the unmoving Humans and other, stranger entities with him. Finally, though, Lazuli frowned as something occured to her. "That's not even possible," she said. "How did you heal him? That's not Dark magic."

Buwaro grimaced, glancing at his master. The man sighed before nodding. "It's not magic," Buwaro replied quietly. "It's the Force."

"The what?" Dakos asked, frowning.

"The Force is an energy field in all living things," Sepith responded. "It is a powerful ally to be able to understand. Buwaro is one such talented person."

Realization began to dawn on the Demons. "You traitor!" Hakka snarled lowly.

"I was never your soldier to begin with," Buwaro snapped at her, before his voice calmed. "That does not mean that I was _against_ you. I'm simply not yours to deploy."

"You're still a fuckin' spy!" Lazuli shouted.

"And I wanted to make sure none of you died in the process," Buwaro replied, standing up and glaring at her. "I am not that strong in the Force. I'm not that strong, period. My master behind me, Darth Imperius, is. And that is why Moonshade fled – he was powerful in the Force, but not powerful enough to take my master _and_ me _and_ his other allies and Apprentices.

"Honestly, though, he _did_ have power in the Force, and he was killing and taking the power of the Guardians while you took advantage of the chaos. But why?" he asked rhetorically, glancing around. "My guess is that he used you, tricked you, into being his pawns in a bid for power."

"With what?" Dakos asked angrily. "This was Syndel's plan! Are you telling us he tricked our God?!"

Buwaro blinked, staring at the older Demon. "...I never sensed Syndel," he said, "but it was easy, even for me, to sense the Guardians. Master?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"I haven't sensed anyone but the Guardians," Sepith replied thoughtfully. "And them, I can sense clearly. I would have thought the Gods and Guardians were a misremembered legend until I came to Medius proper," he admitted.

"Then...how?" Verammi asked, frowning. "Are _all_ the Gods missing?" Kieri perked up at that, looking concerned.

"If so, it's possible that this Moonshade made an illusion," Sepith replied. "It's easier to do that than hide their presence in the Force – and it's an application of the same ability. Worse, he just did the latter." Ripples of terror filled the Demons, and they murmured. "It's not as horrible as it sounds," Sepith replied. "Piercing the illusion should be possible, with training in the Force.

"Which reminds me," he smiled, stepping down off of the rock he'd stood on. "Stand down, everyone," he said to his followers, and blasters, lightsabers, and a giant sword were all put away – the latter much to Khem Val's disgruntlement. "Buwaro, you said there were two possible Sensitives here, correct? The deaf Demon, and the Angel girl?"

"Yes sir," Buwaro nodded smartly, standing at attention.

Hakka almost flinched. "Wait what?!" she asked. She quickly signed to Nikkei, who stared in shock at her girlfriend, then at Sepith. Kieri's reaction had been merely silent, gaping at Buwaro and Sepith in shock.

The Sith Lord didn't seem to notice their shock. "Hmm, I can sense their potential," Sepith nodded slowly. "Good work. Buwaro, Ashara," he said, glancing to each Apprentice in turn, "I'm somewhat busy training Xalek lately. Sith are normally fine with training two or more Apprentices, but...would you each mind teaching one of them?"

Buwaro blinked. "I...I mean, do you think I could?" he asked.

"In terms of raw power, you're almost to the point I was at when I picked up Ashara," Sepith replied, "and she taught me as much, if not more, than I taught her." He shrugged, smiling as he crossed his arms. "I think you'd make a fine teacher."

Buwaro nodded respectfully, then turned to Kieri and knelt by her. "Kieri Suizahn," he said, and the cuffs popped off. "Would you accept me as your master, teaching you about your power?"

She stared at him, stunned that he was offering to work with her – that anyone would offer. He knew the emotions on her face without even reading her mind – there was a complete disbelief that he wanted to help her. A hope that he would, but a fear that he would use her, or betray her, or that she would fail, or not be good enough for his efforts, or that he was wrong about her power. She began to tear up, and he hugged her to comfort her. That seemed to tip the scales for her. "Y-yes," she replied in a blubbering voice, hugging him back with a strength he wasn't aware she had.

The grateful sobs of the young woman were all that anyone heard for a while. Soon, she drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the emotional release. Buwaro smiled and picked her up, glancing around at the stunned, confused Demons. "Her mother was abusive," Buwaro said quietly. "She tried to kill herself, and when I caught her, she thought her mother was right about her being 'worthless'." Many flinched at the news, and simply left it at that.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, as the sun rose over the impromptu camp-out, Buwaro heard a gentle "eep" and felt something shift off of him – something warm. He glanced up at a blurry Kieri, who sighed in relief and kneeled before him, before sitting down next to him. "Sleep okay?" he asked.

"Better," she replied quietly. She leaned on his chest again. Buwaro gently poked her mind – she was still unsure that she could be anything but a waste of his time. "Why are you helping me?" she asked quietly.

"Because it is dangerous to keep a Sensitive's mind dark to their power," Buwaro replied. His eyes darkened. "That's not even counting the fact that your mother's actions were awful, and you need support."

Kieri winced. "But...surely she had a reason for it."

"Not a sensical one," Buwaro growled. "Even I know that much."

"Yeah," Lazuli said, startling them both. "I had my mother most of my childhood," she elaborated, "but she was never mean or cruel. Teasing, sometimes she'd push my buttons to get me to learn a lesson, but she never told me I was a bad person, or really hit me, or anything. Spanked me, told me I'd done something bad, but never that _I_ was bad."

Kieri grimaced. "You're strong, a capable warrior," she said quietly.

"That doesn't matter," Lazuli snapped, and Kieri flinched. "You can't tell your kid that kinda shit. Period."

"She's right," Buwaro said quietly. "I didn't have my parents – Sepith and his crew were my family, starting when I was four or so. The only one I was really afraid to be around was Khem, and for good reason – he's worse than Azurai."

"How so?" Lazuli asked.

"He uh, hungers for Force energy, and he gets it by killing," Buwaro muttered. "It's not even like a food requirement, it's just something he _likes_."

Lazuli turned pale. "Gods," she murmured.

"Yeah," Buwaro replied. "My master keeps him on a short leash, though, so usually he's okay. He does get grumpy easily though." He glanced back to Kieri. She was grimacing still, so Buwaro hugged her a little tighter. "It's alright," he said softly. "We'll train you up in your powers, we'll get you some therapy. You'll be alright. I promise." She looked up at him, hopeful, yet not wanting to believe and be let down, or to let him down. He knew she was afraid of failing him, and herself. He shook his head. "It'll be alright," he told her again.

She still didn't seem convinced. Time would help, he knew.

He hoped.

 

* * *

 

 

The Demons returned to St. Curtis with the freed Angels. Kazai had glared at Verammi almost every step of the way, while Zahariah had tried to keep his friend from getting violent. Hanei Denevol had been equally irritable, but he controlled himself.

Kieri had been the most subdued, of course, though Verammi was not far behind. She seemed to be lost in thought, and occasionally spoke to Iratu and Dakos. None of them had been happy with the realization that it was possible that they'd been lied to by Moonshade, somehow, and that _all_ the Gods were missing.

Kieri was more concerned that _any_ of them were.

Luckily, integration was fairly simple for most of them. The town hadn't been aware of the would-be attack, so there was no panic or other concern, other than the concern over the attack by "Moku." Sepith and crew had also come into the town with them, and with his help, the Angels in town were contacted and led to a meeting hall rented in the city for an impromptu mediation of sorts.

Iratu was concerned that this would end poorly, but he conceded that something needed to happen if they were to know any peace. Dakos, however, was very reluctant to enter the room, stating, "You can't trust Angels. That's just common sense."

Verammi frowned. "I was willing to work with you, remember," she told him.

"It's still unnatural," he snarled. "Your kind want nothing more than our destruction, or our enslavement. I've seen it happen, monster."

Buwaro stepped between the two. "Listen, Dakos," he said quietly, "I know you don't have the ability to read minds, like I do, but lemme clarify for you: they have other thoughts, dreams, wants, and desires. From what I can tell, _they_ think they're _defending themselves._ Just like we do."

The older Demon growled. "How can you say something that stupid?!" he asked.

Finally losing his temper, Buwaro snarled, "Think of a number between one and ten thousand." Dakos frowned, unsure what to do, but closed his eyes and did so. And a moment of concentration later, Buwaro said, "Two hundred and thirteen." Dakos straightened, then focused again. Buwaro crossed his arms and growled, "'Verammi can suck my dick' isn't a number."

Dakos's eyes widened, while the Seraph merely shrugged. "I didn't know you were into that. I mean, it's, how you say, 'cool' with me, but at least apologize for the 'I'm a monster' crap."

"That's – that's not what I meant by – !" Dakos protested, blushing and glaring furiously at Buwaro, who only smirked.

"Interspecies relations are nothing new, at least in the galaxy at large," Sepith snorted. "They are only difficult to pull off 'right.' Difficult doesn't mean impossible, though – unless, of course, someone is as retardedly bigoted about the issue as Dakos." The older Demon scowled at the Sith for his jab, but did not rise to the bait.

Within an hour, a meeting had been called. Most of the Angels and Demons were glaring at each other sidelong, though a few managed to be less hostile. Buwaro noted that Sahne and Lakritz were with the Angel woman and her child, seeming almost protective of their new friends. Kieri smiled at their obvious closeness. Finally, Kieri, Buwaro, and Lazuli were called up to Sepith's side: Kieri and Lazuli to help translate, and Buwaro and Kieri to keep the minutes as much as possible, due to a lack of recording equipment on the _Fury_.

The Sith Lord began to explain the situation: Demons and Angels were at abysmally low populations due to a war that everyone thought was self-defense at this point, against an enemy that was supposedly "unable to do anything but kill, maim, and rape, in that order." Several, both Angel and Demon, blushed at the coarse words, and many winced under his far harsher glare, but no one argued against the statement.

The Gods were missing in action, and at least one Guardian had been co-opted by someone who was very capable in the Force. No one knew much about this stealthy individual, but there was evidence pointing to a conspiracy of some kind in order to gain power. A powerful Moonshade likely meant a lot of death and destruction, considering his apparent goal and purpose in the Demons' aborted attack was to sow chaos and destruction, to let the Demons take advantage of it.

At that point, Sepith stared long and hard at Iratu. "What?" the Earth Demon asked, shifting in his seat.

"The ritual that this relied on," the Sith said. "Give it to me."

"I don't have it," Iratu stated. "That was in the hands of our ritualists back home, to keep it safe and keep Angels from using its inverse."

"Then we'll have to get it the old-fashioned way," the Sith snorted. "Of course, if I have to, I'm perfectly willing to call in an Imperial strike team. This system and its four worlds will remain under my protection, of course," he added with a dark smirk.

"And how do you plan to get to Hell with your 'strike team'?" Iratu snorted.

"Space flight," Buwaro replied. "Hell, Heaven, Medius, and Purgatory are all planets orbiting the same star. That's how my master found me in the first place," he shrugged, while the rest of the table was deathly silent.

"Space flight?" the last Denevol asked, shocked. "Are you telling me your master is some kind of _alien?!_ "

"Damn skippy," Andronikos smirked at the gobsmacked faces of the gathered Angels and Demons. "We were surprised that humans are on this planet, in fact. The whole fuckin' system is one big enigma to Force-users like the captain here."

"How so?" Azurai asked, quiet and cautious – much to Buwaro's shock. He'd nearly forgotten that the bloodthirsty Demon had been with them.

"Your magic, both combative and ritual, is not like the Force as I know it, for one," Sepith replied. "For another, the Guardians – most worlds don't have such entities; as far as I know, none of them do. Perhaps most interesting is the natures of Heaven and Hell, able to sustain people without sustenance. And of course, humans are all over the galaxy at large, as well as on this extremely low-tech world; that speaks either to Rakata influence, or if your Gods are real as I suspect now, they might have copy-pasted the species to their world."

{The ra-whatta?} Kazai asked.

Once he understood the question, Sepith nodded. "Simply put, the Rakata were a very ancient species of aliens – or, as polite society calls them, xenoforms – that seem to be responsible for a lot of things, including other xenoforms, some _very_ ancient technology, and possibly even the current state of some systems."

Luckily, the shock of having extraterrestrial visitors overwhelmed the indignity of being used as sacrifices for a ritual for the Demons' world-conquering plan. A truce was obtained from the group, and groundwork was laid for everyone to be properly situated in St. Curtis. Finally, Sepith began to set up his plan to protect the Median system. This, unfortunately, would require the introduction of the system to the galaxy at large, which meant that the planet would officially be in Sith Space. That meant a lot of things, but Sepith would spend lots of time planning for the event to mitigate the damage.

Medius was screwed up enough as it was.


End file.
